How about adding the option to rate answers from users. I stopped posting on forums about 10 years ago when I got tired of sorting through self declared experts who don't have the ability to say anything intelligent.

By rating answers your self declared experts may stop posting nothing but noise. As of now, someone tell me how I can remove myself from this forum.

Rating is up to Frank Naude; as he visits Suggestions & Feedback Forum regularly, you might get his opinion about your question. Until then, visit this topic; one of Forum members created a poll so - you can vote for most (un)popular members, if you wish.

As of "removing yourself from this forum", that's rather easy: just stop visiting it, unless you'd like your profile to be removed completely. As it requires deleting all of your messages etc., I'm not sure it will be granted. Moreover, I never heard that "I want to be permanently banned off the Forum" works. We don't do that (unless certain rules are severely violated).

If you don't want the 'noise' of other people's replies arriving in your email then don't mark the checkbox 'Post Notification' when you reply. If you have already done this then 'thump' the post and make sure that you leave the checkbox empty.

Actually the "noise" I am speaking of is the quality of answers that are being given. Now, I don't know how someone gets a "senior user" rating here, but I am willing to guess it is more with the number of post, not the quality of their posts.

I now have two "senior members" that I have marked to ignore because of the lack of quality/intelligence of their posts. Anyone with an internet connection and lots of free time (ie no responsibilities) can get on here and just start posting replies and not offer anything intelligent.

So, by rating responses say -10 - +10 on quality of the post, the self proclaimed experts may start thinking about a solution / assistance. Not posting sarcastic remarks for the sole purpose of keeping their posts counts up.

I rate -10 for you post, and I will do it whatever you post as I don't like you.

Of course, I will not, but this is the behaviour many will have.

Regards
Michel

I think that's a very paranoid way of thinking. Rob does have a point here in my opinion. Seems to me that there are too many people here that are posting for the sake of the posting or for their own glory, instead of trying to help out people (helping them, either by hinting at or giving a solution, or pointing them to the guidelines in a friendly way).

I rate -10 for you post, and I will do it whatever you post as I don't like you.

Of course, I will not, but this is the behavior many will have.

Regards
Michel

I think that's a very paranoid way of thinking. Rob does have a point here in my opinion. Seems to me that there are too many people here that are posting for the sake of the posting or for their own glory, instead of trying to help out people (helping them, either by hinting at or giving a solution, or pointing them to the guidelines in a friendly way).

If there is a quality metric it would make it easy to set who to ignore. Before I set Michel and Anne to ignore, I spent about 30 minutes browsing their posts. I came to the conclusion that they don't have any respect for others on this board. I am too busy to deal with people like that.

The down side of ignoring is you may post an insightful answer that I could use. If people realize they are going to be down rated for the lack of quality, then just perhaps these people will start thinking about what they say. That would improve the overall quality of what people have to say here. Then I would have a reason to stick around.

BTW: Frank, I put your answer on "master detail with connect by" into our Oracle FAQ database so my developers can use it when needed.

If people realize they are going to be down rated for the lack of quality, then just perhaps these people will start thinking about what they say.

Too bad he doesn't read my posts as he would know that I already said that no rate will change my post because I don't care about any rate.
Ana also already said him that (s)he does not care about his opinion. Does he think it is personal? It is just a matter of freedom of speech.

Just for his information, some of my "negative" posts was highly positively rated in other forums that used the rate system.
A post may seem negative for some and positive for others.

If someone wants to quote my post as he seems to finally read it when it is quoted...

If people realize they are going to be down rated for the lack of quality, then just perhaps these people will start thinking about what they say.

Too bad he doesn't read my posts as he would know that I already said that no rate will change my post because I don't care about any rate.

Too bad, because it should be the ultimate goal behind each reply: the use of it to others.

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Ana also already said him that (s)he does not care about his opinion. Does he think it is personal? It is just a matter of freedom of speech.

The most important consequence of freedom of speech is knowing what to say and what not. Freedom of speech should not mean 'I can say anything I want, so screw the world, I WILL say anything I want'

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Just for his information, some of my "negative" posts was highly positively rated in other forums that used the rate system.
A post may seem negative for some and positive for others.

Sorry, but I really can't see how a post stating (in bold) 'As you are an expert, I don't answer the question because you obviously already knows it.' would be viewed as positive by the original poster in any forum.

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If someone wants to quote my post as he seems to finally read it when it is quoted...

I believe Mr. Cadot protest too much. Could it be Mr. Cadot really does not want to have the his postings rated? And for some reason, Mr. Cadot seems to not like being ignored.

Freedom of speech also comes with taking responsibility for what you say. I wont take away Mr. Cadot's right to say what he wants. However in a free market world I reserve the right to not listen to his drivel and I will exercise my freedom of speech to say I believe it is drivel.

Ana does not care about my opinion, that goes both ways.

I need to get back to work, this has become a too much of a distraction.

You give too much importance of what I think. Once again I don't care but as you created a special topic just for Ana and me...

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Freedom of speech also comes with taking responsibility for what you say.

I do and I admit you negative rate me and I hear and carefully listen Frank's remarks (see below) otherwise I will not answer.

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However in a free market world I reserve the right to not listen to his drivel and I will exercise my freedom of speech to say I believe it is drivel.

I don't know what "drivel" is but I like you say it.

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Don't Feed the Trolls.

Who create a topic for this?

@Frank

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Sorry, but I really can't see how a post stating (in bold) 'As you are an expert, I don't answer the question because you obviously already knows it.' would be viewed as positive by the original poster in any forum.

Who say this is the original poster that appreciates the answer? Some are like me and don't want to see people posting against what is said and repeated in red, in sticky and so on.
Do you mean that only the original poster should be able to rate?

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The most important consequence of freedom of speech is knowing what to say and what not.

Yes and I think repeating that something is against what has been stated as a rule worths to be done.

I don't know if I fully understand this sentence but I already said and repeated that I take no pleasure to repeat the same thing, it is the opposite, it bothers me and I would prefer to answer to question but I take this task as a duty to do for the rules to be followed.

And I'm not trying to correct the poster just to remind him the rules... but in such a way that he realizes some of the consequences.

As I already said and repeated, if no one remind the rules to the offender and accept to answer as if the rules were fulfilled then what is the purpose of the rules?
If there are no consequences to not stop at red traffic light and everyone can pass by, why are there red lights (apart from being dangerous for those that respect them)?